The invention relates to an electric connector, in particular to a rectangular connector. The invention also relates to a connector part and an insulating body thereof carrying contact elements of a connector. The invention further relates to mounting means for contact elements of a connector.
A known mounting means for contact elements of a connector comprises, as is shown in EP 0 610681 A2, an insulating body consisting of two parts, a so-called body and a lateral mounting portion. The lateral mounting portion is provided with a plurality of resilient teeth which can snappingly engage with respective seat means in the body. The contact elements are inserted into the respective seats of a radially outer group from the outer circumferantial side relative to the body. The contact elements in the seats of the radially inner group are inserted by moving the contact elements in radial direction. When inserting the contact elements, they move through slots until they reach an opening through which the contact elements are individually placed into the respective seats. So as to allow this maneuver the opening defines a free space having dimensions which are larger than the maximum diameter of each of said contact elements.
Further, attention is drawn to EP 0 268 890.
The present invention relates to a connector part, a connector, in particular a rectangular connector, and mounting means for contact elements in the connector part, in particular of the rectangular connector. The invention also relates to mounting means for at least one so-called PE contact element or grounding contact element
In accordance with the invention, the mounting of the contact elements in an insulating body (also called contact insert) of a connector can be easily carried out, at the same time providing that the contact elements are securely mounted or supported in contact chambers formed by said insulating body. The mounting of the contact element(s) is provided such that the mounting of the insulating body, preferably with the contact elements having been inserted, can be carried out from the reverse or backside of a housing. No additional mounting means, e.g. screws, are required for the insulating body.
The simplified mounting is also available for the mounting of at least one PE contact element, thus providing a safe contact between the PE contact elements and the housing. The insulating body can be inserted, after the contact elements including the PE contact element have been inserted into the insulating body, from the rear into a metal housing.
A connector part of a connector comprises an elongated metal housing defining an interior chamber and having a first or rearward open end and spaced therefrom a second or forward open end. The connector part further comprises an elongated insulating body adapted to be inserted into said housing in a direction from said first or rearward open end towards said spaced second or forward open end. Abutment means are provided so as to locate the elongate insulated body in a certain desired position within said elongate metal housing. The insulating body comprises an elongate contact body and an elongate slide member adapted to be fixedly mounted together. Said contact body has opposite first and second sides. On said first side elongate contact chambers are provided and on said second side at least one elongate contact chamber is provided first and second elongate contact elements are adapted to be inserted into said first and second contact chambers. The slide member as well as the contact body have generally the form of a parallelepiped. The slide member comprises at one of its larger side surfaces contact chambers, which are adapted to cooperate with the contact chambers for the first contact elements of said contact body, thus to securely support the contact elements in the insulating body formed by said contact body and said slide member. For the at least one second contact element, which preferably is a PE contact element, support means additional to the contact chamber in the contact body are provided by the elongate metal housing preferably by a rib. Also, contact means are provided on said metal housing to provide an electric connection with said second contact element preferably in the form of a PE contact element.